LESSON PLAN

Name: Lisa Johnson

Topic: Paper Planes Film Study

Lesson No: 1 of 3

Subject: Critical Literacy

School: Aspendale Park Primary School

Duration: 50 minutes

Date: 13 July 2016

Year Level: 6

AUSVELS learning focus:

Learning Outcomes:

THE ARTS
ENGLISH
Drama
Language

A. To understand the basic structure of a visual text, and how

to view a visual text critically

Literacy

C. To understand the impact of music in visual texts

Curriculum Outcomes
Addressed:
(ACELA1516) (ACELA1764)
(ACELY1713) (ACELY1723)
(ACELY1801) (ACADRR045)

B. To understand the impact of cinematography on story

development and tone

Success Criteria:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the topic in
class discussion and activities

Rationale:
This lesson will reinforce students understanding about the differences between a written and
visual text. Students will gain an understanding of the basic components of a visual text (Acts
and Interludes). Students will also explore the idea of cinematography and music in class
activities. Skills developed will include:
Understanding of visual texts
Critical thinking and interpretation of visual texts
Reflection on visual and auditory methods of communicating ideas
Participation in class discussion
Learning and teaching strategies used in this class will include:
Discussion
Questioning
Class activities
Assessment:
1. Emerging knowledge will be assessed with informal questioning over the course of the
lesson
2. Student participation and contributions to the class will be used as a further means of
assessing emerging knowledge and understanding
3. Feedback will be informally given in class discussions to inform student learning

Teacher resources:
PowerPoint Presentation of stills and music from Paper Planes
Student resources:
N/A
Time
(minutes
)

5 minutes

Procedure:

Teacher role:

Students role

Class engagement Introduction.

Student teacher will introduce herself
and will set out her expectations of the
students for the times when she is
taking the class. We will discuss as a
class general impressions of the Paper
Planes film.

Students will be engaged in class

discussion

15
minutes

15
minutes

15
minutes

Pulling it apart addressing the basic

elements of a visual text. We will
discuss as a class the particular
features that comprise a movie (and
how these differ from written texts).
Paper Plans will be discussed as having
3 Acts and an Interlude (the Narrative
Structure). The format of the film-astext will be brainstormed on the board.
Act 1 Meeting the characters.
Setting up the plot (Dylans
hometown)
Act 2 Complications and
problems to move the plot
forward (National
Championships)
Interlude Critical
events/conversations (Dylans
interaction with his father)
Act 3 Plots brought together
and issues resolved (World
Championships both plots of
paper plane competition and
Dylans relationship with his
father are brought together and
resolved)

Focus on cinematography as the

descriptions of the visual text The
teacher will show cinematic stills from
the film and have the students critical
examine each single shot for form,
angle, context and how it fits with the
film as a whole.

Students will be involved in class

discussion and brainstorming.

Students will be actively engaged in

critically assessing still images from
paper planes. These will be discussed as
a class.

Students will listen to each clip with their

eyes closed and be asked to put their
hands up and describe in one word how
they feel in relation to each score.

Focus on music The teacher will play

short clips of score from the film
(without visual input). The students will
discuss how each item makes them feel
(in one word) to highlight the
importance of music in a scene to
evoke particular reactions in an
audience.

Mentors Comments:
Brilliant setting of expectations- very clear- the use of teamwork and why it is important- I like
that your behavior expectations were about being positive learners.
Jotter pad- great idea to allow every student to access the lesson.
Guess what is in the teachers head can be a set up for a failure for students- however doing
it about behavior expectations worked well- it highlighted students know what isnt great
classroom behavior
Intro
Comparison of books and movies and linking to literacy the structure of a movie and text.
Metalanguage introduction- brilliant- treats them as learners and creates agency. Be wary of
guess whats in my head, it can discount their thoughts. Accept all answers and then focus on
what you wanted.
Discussion
new hands as a prompt to remind others to participate- love it!
Acknowledging and praising Zaliahs agency I was wondering
Regular acknowledgement of positive learning behaviours by referring back to expectations
laid out at the start.
Wellbeing- Whats your favourite movie? A simple and great way to show students you are
interested in them.
I would find a way to permanently record student contributions, e.g. anchor charts. What
tricks will a cinematographer use to take you out of a scene? Also a permanent record of
important terminology- could you make a film making display in the class- free rein on the
room?
Your lesson encouraged students to organically make connections to what they already knowthe sign of a great lesson.

Lisa- what an interesting, engaging lesson! Your manner with the students is inspirational and
impressive. I loved the lesson and learnt so much myself. I overheard students using the
language- I am critically watching A huge win.

LESSON PLAN
Name: Lisa Johnson

Topic: Paper Planes Film Study

Lesson No: 1 of 3

Subject: Critical Literacy

School: Aspendale Park Primary School

Duration: 100 minutes

Date: 14 July 2016

Year Level: 6

AUSVELS focus:
THE ARTS
ENGLISH
Drama
Language
Literacy
Curriculum Outcomes
Addressed:
(ACELA1516)

Learning Outcomes:
A. To be able to identify themes in visual texts
B. To understand how imagery is used to develop themes in
visual texts
C. To be able to critically address thematic questions in
relation to visual texts
Success Criteria:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the topic in
class discussion, activities and written work

Rationale:
This lesson will continue to develop students understanding about the development of a visual
text. Students will gain an understanding of themes and imagery in film. Skills developed will
include:
Understanding of visual texts
Critical thinking and interpretation of visual texts
Reflection on visual methods of communicating ideas
Participation in class discussion
Developing and answering critical questions
Literacy
Learning and teaching strategies used in this class will include:
Discussion
Questioning
Group activities

Hands on activities
Written responses

Assessment:
1. Emerging knowledge will be assessed with informal questioning over the course of
the lesson
2. Student participation and contributions to the class will be used as a further means
of assessing emerging knowledge and understanding
3. Students will develop and answer written critical questions in regards to the
themes/imagery of the film
Teacher resources:
Post it notes for Secret Me
Colored A4 paper
Paper Planes film for imagery clips
Theme 1 = 00:00:45 and 01:08:25
Theme 2 = 01:27:15 and 01:29:40
Theme 3 = 00:02:30 and 01:25:15
Square paper for concluding activity
How to make a paper swan instructions for concluding activity
Student resources:
Writing equipment
Time
(minutes
)

10
minutes

15
minutes

Procedure:

Teacher role:

Students role

Class engagement Writing of Secret

Me post it notes. Each student will
write one fact about themselves on a
post-it note that they think their
classmates might not know. These will
be collected by the student teacher and
used over the next few lessons to
becomes more familiar with the
students and demonstrate that we
often know less about each other than
we think.

Students will be asked what they

remember from the previous lesson and
will engage in class discussion

Themes in visual context. We will

brainstorm some of the main themes of
Paper Planes, and how these themes
were developed over the course of the
movie. Themes to consider might
include:
Overcoming challenges
Bullying
Relationships
Community
Winning vs creativity and

Students will engage in class discussion

and brainstorming on the whiteboard.
They will note down the particular
themes in their workbooks

20
minutes

45
minutes

10
minutes

imagination
Focus on imagery use the clips from
the movie to discuss how imagery is
used to carry themes throughout a
story:
Paper-making to represent
winning/productivity versus
beauty/creativity
The blurred images of Dylans
dad to represent the growth of
their relationships
Clive sometimes the answers
are in front of us the whole time
and we just need to change the
way we think to see them
Focus on critical viewing as questioning
now that weve established some
themes and how they were developed
in the movie, well look at questioning
as a way of critical interpreting a film.
Brainstorm examples of critical
questions. Give quiet time for students
to develop and write one good, critical
question. When they have their
questions, they can fold them into
paper planes and well have a minicompetition. At the end, the students
will pick up SOMEONE ELSES plane and
write an answer to the question on that
paper.

Students will engage in group discussion

about the clips we view as a class.

Each student will be asked to develop

one good, critical question that they
have about the movie. This could be
about production, something they were
left wondering, about the characters, etc.
They will take part in a mini paper-plane
competition. Students will then swap
questions and answer the one they were
given.

Students will participate in a hands on

activity (time permitting) while
reinforcing concepts learnt during the
lesson

Time and behaviour permitting: We will

learn how to fold a paper swan and
summarize what weve learnt
throughout the lesson

Mentors Comments:
Ice breaker to start- a lot of fun and was a great way to reiterate expectations. I think a good
subtle reminder that students dont know everything about each other.
Intro
Good, brief review of previous lesson to tune in.
Wellbeing- Saying students name every time you speak to them- a great strategy to
remember names and make the children feel important.
Discussion
Great probing questions to have students think about the content of the film.
Perhaps model and record examples of quality critical questions or ask :What is a good critical
question?

Great use of instant feedback by summarizing the good quality of the critical questions.
The main task (writing a critical response) was solid. Maybe next time put some sort of time
frame on the task when you can rove and discuss with students. Find some students with
responses worth highlighting. Then pull students back together and have random shares as
well as those you chose to share their response and ask probing questions.
The origami ending was a lot of fun and a great link.
For the next few lessons I would focus on the wrap/reflection/summary/sharing aspect of the
lesson.

LESSON PLAN
Name: Lisa Johnson

Topic: Paper Planes Film Study

Lesson No: 3 of 3

Subject: Critical Literacy

School: Aspendale Park Primary School

Duration: 50 minutes

Date: 15 July 2016

Year Level: 6

AUSVELS learning focus:

THE ARTS
ENGLISH
Drama
Language
Literacy
Curriculum Outcomes
Addressed:
(ACELA1516) (ACELA1764)
(ACELY1713) (ACELY1723)
(ACELY1801) (ACADRR045)

Learning Outcomes:
D. To understand character development in visual texts
E. To further develop critical analysis skills
Success Criteria:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of the topic in
class discussion, activities and in critically analyzing a
character from the visual text

Rationale:
This lesson will continue to develop students understanding about the development of a visual
text. Students will gain an understanding of character development in film. Skills developed will
include:
Understanding of visual texts
Critical thinking and interpretation of visual texts
Reflection on character development in visual texts
Participation in class discussion

Developing and answering critical responses

Literacy

Learning and teaching strategies used in this class will include:

Discussion
Questioning
Group activities
Hands on activities
Written responses

Assessment:
4. Emerging knowledge will be assessed with informal questioning over the course of
the lesson
5. Student participation and contributions to the class will be used as a further means
of assessing emerging knowledge and understanding
6. Students will work in groups to develop a critical character profile of a given
character from the film
7. Character profiles will be informally assessed by the student teacher and feedback
will be given
Teacher resources:
Group generator to create random groups
Character worksheet (attached)
Student resources:
Means of taking notes
Time
(minutes
)

Procedure:

Teacher role:

Students role

10
minutes

Class engagement Secret Me and

recap of last lesson

Students will be asked what they

remember from the previous lesson and
will engage in class discussion

20
minutes

Class will be split into groups and each

group will be given one character to
analyze using the character worksheet
(see attached)

Students will work in their groups to

critically respond to the worksheet
questions

20
minutes

Each group will give a quick

presentation about their particular
character

Students will be talking and listening to

their peers

CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT
Name of character: __________________________________________________________
What do you know about this character
at the beginning of the film?

What more do you know about the

character at the end of the film?

Has this character changed by the end

of the film? Explain your answer

Which relationship is most important in

the development of this character?

Group members: